Dangerous Romance (2023)

A story that could have been really interesting but GMM falls into its eternal flaws

The basic idea was good: class struggles, privileges for the rich, debt management, inequality. A romance between a rich teenager and a poor one is interesting. Alas, as soon as the romance begins (in a totally unexplained way, by the way), we plunge into a rather inconsistent high-school crush, very poorly served by rather average acting. For once, the age difference between the actors and their characters isn't too much of a handicap.

The rare moments of action aren't enough to save the series from the banality into which it's sinking. It's not a bad show to watch, but its lack of originality leads straight into a predictable tedium.

When I stopped wanting to know what was going to happen next, I told myself I'd better give up.

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Dangerous Romance was dangerously bad

I was watching this series as it aired but after episode five it wasn’t captivating enough so I set it aside to binge later and oh my goodness, I damn near pulled out all my hair. The entire show is a bore, sure, sweet and interesting moments were sprinkled here and there but overall it was similar to staring at a blank screen. A lot happened but they were uneventful. At one point I was watching an episode a day and every day I considered dropping the show but held on for PerthChimon. PerthChimon did their best but their characters were not worth the 12 hours of torture.

What I liked:
- PerthChimon
- Perth's whole wardrobe was spot on!
- Enemies to lovers trope
- “Wind” by Chimon
- Sailom’s friend, Guy.
- The development between Nawa and Guy, and Auto and Max.

What I hated/took issue with:
- KanghanSailom. They don’t make sense. Not when they were children, not in high school, not in their universe or the real universe. Their ONE run-in as children that left Sailom with a long-term crush on a kid he never met again or knew is one thing but to compound that with the current HS bully Kanghan? It’s such a cop-out that Sailom is ready to forgive Kanghan for anything and everything because of that one incident. It's like Sailom forgot that Kanghan’s bullying crossed the line of SA and extreme harassment. Then again, their first two kisses were non-consensual so--
- Their getting together was so bizarre. Kanghan was just mad that Sailom rejected Pimfah then all of a sudden, after Sailom’s confession, Kanghan became possessive and told Sailom he didn't like Sailom hanging out with Guy. NANI?!
- Kanghan gave us a cliche, vague reason when he first fell for Sailom, he said ‘Before I knew it, I had already fallen for you’. That could be cute but then when exactly was that? Because Kanghan still liked Pimfah up to Sailom’s confession so at best, Kanghan had two nights to decide that he, too, likes Sailom. Once Sailom ‘opens his heart’ to Kanghan, Pimfah is tossed to the back and without any struggle accepts Kanghan and Sailom’s relationship as if she never cried over Sailom. Her shipping Nawa and Guy was also a WTF moment.
- Sailom forgave Kanghan too fast, and Auto and Guy even faster. Unrealistic.
- In the beginning, Sailom had a moral fiber and standards but as the show progresses, he loses that. I thought it was strange that Sailom stopped Kanghan from breaking a replaceable debit card but was completely fine going out and spending all of Kanghan's dad’s money on it. He never physically tried to stop Kanghan’s impulsive spending either. Sailom also acted as if he was above it, that Kanghan was the only one spending all the money when we saw the new clothes, watches, and accessories on him, the food he ate, and the suite he bathed and slept in. It was so odd to put Kanghan down for it when he willingly participated.
- Maybe it was implied or the translation was off but I believed Kanghan jumped the gun with his dad paying his way into the football team. Remember, Kanghan was personally invited by a senior to try out for the team due to his skills. Secondly, the dad asked the coach to look after his son AFTER Kanghan already made the team. Or are we supposed to believe the senior was set up by Kanghan’s dad and/or coach?
- The actors had chemistry but their characters were not chemistrying. When Kanghan’s father was carried out of the house, I thought he’d run to his dad but instead, he ran to his grandma. Sailom also doesn’t stop or seem too concerned about the police escorting his brother in handcuffs to the car. Saifah and Name’s relationship was interesting but it came in at episode nine and wasn’t naturally developed. Why would you introduce a gangster to the rich family you care for? (Name’s driving scene was also terribly done. Thanks for nothing, Dangerous Romance!)
- Pimfah, and even teacher Napdao, Auto, and Guy were all there for Sailom on TWO occasions when his brother was locked up but Pimfah, Nawa, and Max weren’t shown to ever be there when Kanghan’s dad was shot, and in a vegetative state. And I thought Kanghan was Pimfah’s best friend? Least, that’s what she said episodes ago. Nawa also spent more time with Guy who just had knee surgery rather than be there for Kanghan. Then again, Kanghan and Guy seemed to be the good friends that Kanghan and Nawa are meant to be whenever they're on the fields.
- Napdao and Pimfah’s implied lesbian relationship is a no-go. I feel, Napdao only exists to keep Pimfah from meddling with Kanghan and Sailom’s relationship.
- Who told all the actors and extras not to act natural when they're in the background? In many scenes, everyone only pays attention to the characters whose arc matters at the moment. I.e. in the car scene with Pimfah and Napdao, Sailom, Auto, Guy, Nawa, and Max weren't engaging but watching Pimfah and Napdao act from the backseats. There was also the scene with Kanghan and his father, where everyone was just watching them in front of the bleachers. It was so robotic and controlled, it didn't feel natural for the main, support, or extras.
- The show is predictable and not thought-provoking.
- The editing & shooting. It's like they gave up on this one; like they couldn't even watch what they've edited and shot. In two of the scenes where it was heavily raining, the surrounding areas were completely dried when the cameras panned out. The first mistake was funny but the second one, come on, now. All of the football scenes were so boring in the way that they were shot and edited together, and at every game Sailom always gets in a scene where he soloingly shouts ‘Kang, you’ve got this!’. If Kang can’t play football without Sailom cheering him on then he shouldn’t be near a ball.
- The part where Kanghan pulled up to save Sailom on the motorcycle was nice but it was badly shot, no suspense, and the bad guys left before Sailom even jumped on the bike and panicked. It was anticlimactic.
- The sound editor or whoever was in charge put in so little effort it was comical. I don’t recall if earlier episodes had it but in episodes 9-12 someone vividly had an aggravating obsession with using a beat to indicate a transition in scenes and I had the hardest time recovering from it. The sound quality, in all, was poor. Dirt poor. There was no proper audience cheering at any of the games or clapping when a scene warranted one. There were no good buildup tunes either; everything was either short or abruptly cropped out. It was a hot mess.
- This series was flashback-heavy. In episode 6, I cut out 6-8 minutes of flashbacks; every single scene of just Kanghan and Sailom contained at least two flashbacks (I'm not kidding).
- After episode 7 or 8, the quality dropped and it's most likely due to budget limitations but it doesn't excuse anything.
- This probably doesn’t bother the majority but it always irks me when GMM involves guns or shooting scenes as they never do them justice. I’m no pro at guns but I do know that if you shoot a pistol at closed range and in tight space, per se, in a hospital room, the hospital room isn’t going to look or sound the same. Kanghan getting shot in episode 11 was cringe. Where was his gunshot wound? Where was the blood on the white part of his shirt or hospital walls? Where was the feeling of excruciating pain and paralyzation when one’s been shot? The boy was completely fine. Whoever did the CGI needs to be fired. There was no silencer on the gun when the villain clearly said and I quote “I’ll make it as quiet as possible”. I mean, obviously, he thought he could control the volume of gunshots but that’s not how it works. Even with a silencer, it can still be pretty loud.
- The English title doesn’t apply to the main couple
- You know a series is bad when you’re tired and don't like seeing the leads together. How is it that I enjoyed the second and even third couples more than the main?

I could sit here and trash Dangerous Romance all day but I don’t want to spend any more time on this series. You’ll never catch me watching it again. I hope that Perth and Chimon get a decent series next time. This was a very baseless watch.
I'm sure this one will be a guilty pleasure for some but I can't say it was any kind of pleasure for me.

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Personality Swap Into a Decent Show

Ok. First of all, your show can't get a 10/10 if you personality swap your main character in episode 3. If you're reading this and hated Kang in ep 1 and 2, and you're debating if you should keep going? Keep reading.

Was the show sweet? Yes. Did the mains have chemistry? Yes. Perth could get chemistry from a wall. But the plot and the actors and the music can't make up for the drastic alteration in the show from episode 2 to 3.

In the first two episodes, Perth's character, Kang, is a grade A asshole. A bully to the extreme. He corals his little gang into tormenting people, making them strip for blackmail photos, condones his friends burning other people's possessions, encourages videos to spread on the internet to embarrass others, tells his little gang to drop water and things on people from high up, rips up Sailom's property, tried to interfere with Sailom's school work and studies, destroys Sailom's reputation by falsely accusing him on being a pedophile on a public forum so he lost all his jobs, and was about to threaten Sailom with a gun. Why? Because Sailom tried to show a teacher what he was doing, and then Sailom refused to bow down to him and kiss his shoes in apology.

When episode 3 starts? Kang is a misunderstood puppy who gingerly considers Sailom's feelings and financial situation all the time. He tries to sound tough, but everything is very transparent. It's obvious he is suddenly and fiercely protective of Sailom. His face goes from "fuck the world" to "pet me, I'm lonely".

Do I love version 2 of Kang? Yes. Version 1 almost made me not want to watch the show. He was that awful. But it should have been a more gradual shift and not such a stark and sudden switch.

The show post ep 3 is a mix of sweets and light drama that are good for most BL fans. The dynamic of the mains works and is satisfying for most people. I enjoyed the hints of the side couples and wish we'd gotten more from one couple, but that's another story.

The show still gets docked points for the personality swap, though.

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Highly anticipated and had high expectations, but in the end, it's a flop.

It's a fairly good story, but not excellent. In acting, both Perth and Chimon did a very good job. But it would have been better if the writers had done their job well. Since school and youth are the most common topics in BLs, they would have to change the scenes, like when the best friend is being bullied, the protagonist is going to save the BF and become the hero, and the bully has fallen in love with the protagonist because no one has ever meddled with him like that before.
Another reason is that character development is somewhat complicated. Specifically with Kanghan. At the very beginning, he is bullying Sailom, but then he's head over heels for Sailom. But in the open house, Kanghan is in love with Pimfah. And when Sailom confessed his love again, Kanghan fell in love with him. It feels like Kanghan has acute amnesia or something. Then, when his father was shot, he gave Sailom a cold shoulder. And yes, that is understandable, but then he confesses that it's the only way that he can protect him. And it feels like Kanghan has bipolar disorder. The other thing was these stupid primary-level shooting scenes. When Kanghan was shot in the final episode, it was like a firecracker exploded. Is that the danger that they mentioned in the title? When you read the title, it was about toxic relationships or similar concepts. But where is the danger in the story? I couldn't find any danger.

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Strong start, average finish

After seeing Perth and Chimon as a side couple in “Never Let Me Go” I didn’t expect much of “Dangerous Romance” – even though the trailer was doing a decent job at attracting attention. To my surprise the first few episodes were okay, even good at times; I enjoyed Sailom outwitting Khang and was kind of impressed with Perth pulling it off as a spoiled rich kid and nasty school bully. Unfortunately this promising start didn’t lead to a fully satisfying middle part of the series (although some attempts were made), while the last 2-3 episodes felt like the production team tried to make the show interesting again. The finale was a predictable, but still messy and rushed conclusion.

Usually I watch BL’s for chemistry, dynamics and tension between the male leads. “Dangerous Romance” has some of that, but not too much. Perth and Chimon are much better here than in NLMG (they actually have some chemistry) and I enjoyed most of what they had to offer. It’s not the level of EarthMix, OhmNanon, Gem4th nor 1stKhao, but it’s decent. Still, given a little more screen time or tweaking the script a bit Marc and Pawin could easily outshine the main couple. The show more than hints at two more couples (View+June and Papang+Pepper), but with 12 episodes they don’t get any development – and, as I often do, I wondered about the merits of including so many characters and couples into one series.

The enemies to lovers plot isn’t new, but it’s development into the script of this series wasn’t the best – mainly because the “enemies” part ends pretty quickly and we get a typical school BL. The other part I disliked about the story was that the bully didn’t have a character arc nor character development: Kang – rather unexpectedly – switched from being a spoiled rich brat who bullies schoolmates to a spoiled rich brat with daddy issues (honestly, judging by his actions, Name was a more interesting character than Kang). Furthermore, Kang did not atone for what he did and enemies turned into lovers in almost no time, with very little hesitation from Sailom and some self-discovery on Kang’s part. Despite them having less screen time, I got the impression that there was more development of Nawa’s character and his relation with Guy, than of Kang.

For a moment, writing this review, I imagined an alternative version of “Dangerous Romance”, with only two couples: Kang+Sailom and Name+Saifah, with both brothers going the enemies to lovers path; a darker story about violence, poverty, crime and love – possibly without a happy end. Now that would have been a dangerous romance. Shame we didn’t get that.

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I see the Romance, but not the Dangerous

This was.... okay. Let's get into it:

The good:

- I'll say it until I'm blue in the face, Guy and Nawa SAVED this series for me. They were so entertaining, the chemistry was off the charts, and I was invested every time they were on-screen. I loved them. Their kiss??? Are you kidding me??? I think their romance was believable, they never really lost their banter but grew to tolerate, then like each other. I'm sold.
- Sailom and Kanghan have some genuinely adorable moments together. They're at their best when they're hanging out and just having fun.
- The first few episodes were good. Like, actually good. They were so different to other GMMTV series: they were gritty, darker and more bold in showing the reality of bullying. It really got under my skin - which means it was done well. I wanted to punch Kanghan so badly. It felt appropiate for the title 'Dangerous Romance', and even though I don't really like watching people get abused and bullied, it was realistic for the characters and the situations they were in.
- I also loved the (new?) trope of the bully getting his ass handed to him by the person being bullied. It was so funny, and clever, and it made me love Sailom so much. They tell us that he's smart, but those scenes show it as well. It made me see him as a resourceful, cunning and assertive person.
- Honorable mention to my boy Auto, he's made me laugh multiple times - love him as well.

The bad:

- The story just loses its steam after a few episodes - there's no other way to describe it. Once Sailom and Kanghan become friends, it's less about the bullying and more about their romance and secondary plot points. Which I would not mind if they had done it properly - instead, they redeemed Kanghan in, like, the THIRD episode, through a sad montage, and had Sailom forgive him almost immediately. They trusted each other SO FAST. This was the guy who a week ago was forcing you to kiss your friend and recording it!! Why do you trust him?? Why does HE trust you??? Kanghan never really faced the consequences of what he did, which was messed up. He didn't 'make a mistake', he harassed poorer students while being aware of his privilege and accused someone of being a p*dophile so that they would lose their job as a tutor. This is not something that can (nor should) be forgiven that quickly.
- About Kanghan and Sailom's relationship: it's just not giving Romance. They looked like friends with benefits to me. They have such a strong chemistry as friends, but the actors look a little bit uncomfortable when doing physically intimate scenes together. I don't know, maybe I'm just imagining things. Also, it's kind of toxic - Kanghan drops Sailom multiple times throughout the series, and shuts himself off completely without communicating. He fires Sailom knowing that he's financially dependent on him and that he'll have to resort to being an escort. He distances himself immediately after telling him he trusts him. I would be VERY insecure in that relationship.
- Potential? teacher-student romance?? Am I delirious or were they going for it?? Idk, I'm not a fan of this dynamic at all.
- Some plot elements were genuinely ridiculous, and clearly only there to create drama artificially. Why did the brother go to jail? (the boss' fingerprints were on the gun!! He was not wearing gloves!! Did the police not see that they did not match Saifah's???) Why did Name take so long to confess? Why did the boss start shooting at Sailom and Kanghan at the hospital instead of threatening to kill the dad so that they would go away? Why did he go in himself, instead of having someone disposable go in his place?
- The dad was redeemed too fast. I didn't care for him - he was an asshole for 90% of the series, and then I'm supposed to believe that he's a great guy who's turned his life around to be better for his son. I'm sorry, I don't.

Would I recommend this series? Not really. I didn't dislike it, but it wasn't as memorable as I originally thought it was going to be. I'll probably forget 70% of what happened throughout. I do think that the actors should be given more roles together, maybe not as partners, but friends? Their chemistry shouldn't go to waste.

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Can we please stop glorifying bullying? Such a huge turn off..

I love Perth and Chimon and the other actors here, I just wish we could move away from the bullying trope- it is so tired and there are other more interesting ways to develop an intriguing plot.

The home room teacher turning a blind eye to the bullying video and threatening to lower grades if he doesn’t delete the incriminating video is so…not believable and gross. Seriously, that would never happen in a public school.

I will keep watching to see if it gets better because I love the cast, and the show quality seems above average. I am hoping for a huge redemption arc for Perth’s character to save this show.

After seeing My School President, Semantic Error, Light on Me, Until we Meet Again, Ai Long Nhai, Love Mechanics, and many other school-themed shows not making a bullying theme the main focus of the plot, I know there are great stories to tell without using this as a crutch. And frankly, by now, we deserve better.

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a little bit dangerous and a lot romcom cliches

Overall: the trailer promised a grittier/darker series but it's like the directors/screenwriters never talked to each other. The first two episodes were what I was expecting, then it went full romcom (i.e. multiple accidental fall/stares), then some danger towards the end that didn't make sense. 12 episodes about 45 minutes each. Aired on GMMTV's YouTube channel.

Content Warnings: bullying, punches, violence/beaten up, non con kiss, non con video recording, cyberbullying, manhandling, attempted murder, drugging, attempted sexual assault

What I Liked
- that Sailom was book and a bit street smart as well in the beginning
- Sailom's friend group
- Kang's grandma was amazing
- sweet moments
- a couple funny moments
- production value

Room For Improvement
- too many romance tropes like the accidental fall and catch/stare (there were at least 3 in the first 7 episodes)
- odd pacing/plot, enemies part was too short and then rushed into becoming boyfriends
- the writers made Sailom too reluctant once they started dating/too many near kisses, made it feel more like a bromance, several kisses were uncomfortable to watch
- the comedy sound effects should have been left out, they didn't fit well
- Kang did not have a good enough villain origin story (not that any reason makes it okay to physically injure another human being)
- didn't root for the second couple because of the bullying at the beginning
- Kang's character was very inconsistent, I didn't want him in a romantic relationship because I felt like he'd bail again at the first sign of trouble
- Saifah was too stupid, there could have been a really interesting side plot/character there but his character was poorly written
- nonsense/because the writer said so stuff (some examples, that gang boss's "plan" in episode 11 made zero sense, what that police officer said, there was no reason given for Saifah trusting Name so much)
- not sure what was being hinted at with the student/teacher but they mostly disappeared
- some scenes were too dimly lit
- too many flashbacks especially in episode 6 and 11
- jumped to the past/present repeatedly in episode 7 part 1

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Promising Premise, Disappointing Execution

My excitement for this series was initially fueled by the announcement and the intriguing trailer. However, as I watched each episode, my enthusiasm waned. What began as a potentially engaging enemies-to-lovers story devolved into a messy and illogical narrative. The series suffered from unconvincing acting, a weak plot, and a lack of character growth.

The story follows Sailom, a diligent student at a prestigious school, burdened by debts that he and his brother Saifah struggle to repay. In the same school, we have Kang, a wealthy troublemaker who bullies others and takes nothing seriously. When Kang targets Sailom's friend, Sailom emerges as a formidable adversary, leading to a complex transformation of their relationship from anger and hatred to love.

The premise of the series holds promise, but the actual execution left much to be desired. Several character decisions throughout the story raise questions. Kang's sudden shift from rejecting Sailom's confession to feeling jealous and confessing his own feelings seemed abrupt, especially given his existing affections for someone else. Sailom's actions also felt inconsistent, from running away with Kang without considering his debts to prioritizing Kang over his own incarcerated brother.

The series failed to provide adequate character development, leaving gaps in the characters' motivations and behaviors. Sailom's declaration of love for Kang raises the question of whether he still loved Kang when his friend was mistreated and humiliated by him. These inconsistencies left a significant impact.

The secondary couple, Guy and Nawa, managed to add some stability to the series, but their relationship received insufficient development. The reasons behind their constant conflicts and when their romantic feelings began to develop remained unclear.

This series struggled to live up to its title, lacking both the "dangerous" and "romantic" elements promised. There was a noticeable absence of action scenes or a consistent sense of impending danger. The romantic chemistry also fell short of expectations, with Perth's portrayal of Kang clashing with Chimon's discomfort in romantic scenes.

In conclusion, this might be worth watching for the scenes involving Guy and Nawa, who share the best chemistry in the series. However, viewers should approach the series with lowered expectations to avoid disappointment.

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ROMANCE WITH A LACK OF DANGER

I had awaited this series for so long! Although there isn't much PerthChimon series, I enjoyed their chemistry. That being said, I was SUPERRR excited when I found out that this series was being made.

It was a strong start, and then became..mid

Was the writing amazing? No. Which sadly leads to why my overall rating decreases.

I truly wanted to enjoy this, I really did. But.. What more can I do when the writing goes down hill?

Sailom seemed like a badass character who can stand up for himself and friends, but then forgives the bully almost right away? Is that really reasonable? No..

Personally, after the stuff Kanghan had did to them, I wouldn't forgive him that easily. I understand that Sailom had liked him before, but I'd still be pretty upset, especially when involving friends.

Putting that aside, the overall story was okay. Just two boys getting closer, and then falling in love. Classic.

The parts near the ending episodes get me upset. The way Kang just let Sailom go when he was going through a tough time as well infuriates me. I understand Kangs father was in a coma and Sailoms brother was the one who was accused, but that doesn't make Sailom the bad guy. If you put your trust in him, that doesn't mean you have to put your trust in his brother. So why act like it's his fault when it's his brothers?

Overall, the chemistry lacked. Off screen, they are adorable. On screen? More of a bromance than a romance. The story was extremely messy as it went on.

The only reason I finished is because I needed something to watch on my Fridays, and I love both of the actors.

If you need something to pass the time, this is right. If you need something to get you invested, this may not be the right choice

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